Pneumonia is a frequent complication of acute stroke and is associated with increased mortality and long-term impairment in the affected subjects. In previous studies, a number of clinical (e.g., dysphagia, severe neurological impairment, mechanical ventilation), radiological (e.g., large infarctions in the territory of middle cerebral artery, insular infarction) and biochemical (e.g., increased serum levels of C-reactive protein, decreased levels of CD4+ T-lymphocytes) findings have been reported as risk factors of stroke-related chest infection. The present study (PRECAST) aims to identify a small set out of these previously described risk factors that can predict stroke-related pneumonia with high sensitivity and specificity.

Inclusion Criteria:

• acute ischemic stroke
• admission to the neurological intensive care unit or stroke unit within 24 hours after stroke onset
• clearly assessed brain lesion location

Exclusion Criteria:

• previous large (non-lacunar) stroke
• chest infection present already on hospital admission
• mechanical ventilation already on day 1 or 2 after hospital admission
• treatment with immunosuppressive drugs

Acute ischemic stroke patients admitted to the neurological intensive care unit or stroke unit within 24 hours after stroke onset